Carrying implement for attachment to a walking aid

ABSTRACT

A carrying implement that is removably or fixedly attachable to an elongate member of a walking aid includes a bag portion and an attachment assembly coupled to the bag portion and configured to attach the carrying implement to the elongate member. The attachment assembly is attached to the bag portion at a central vertical axis. When the carrying implement is attached to the elongate member, the central vertical axis is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the elongate member and movement of the bag portion relative to the elongate member is substantially restricted.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to carrying implementsfor carrying a variety of objects. More particularly, the presentinvention relates to a carrying implement, such as a purse, that isattachable to a walking aid, such as the elongate shaft of a cane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Injuries or the aging process often restrict the ability of anindividual to walk without assistance. Several ambulatory aids, such ascanes, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs, exist to enable an injured orelderly individual to more easily attend to various tasks or move aboutfrom place to place. Ambulatory aids, however, require the use of one ormore hands to operate the aid, thus restricting the ability of theindividual to carry other items. Although it would be possible to carryitems in a bag equipped with a shoulder or back strap or a carryinghandle, such a bag may inconvenience the user. For example, an injury orother impairment may prevent the user from carrying such a bag on ashoulder or the back. Further, a shoulder strap, back strap, or acarrying handle may dislodge or move about while the individual iswalking and entangle or otherwise interfere with the individual's use ofthe ambulatory aid.

[0003] Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a carrying implementfor transporting a variety of objects that an individual easily coulduse in conjunction with an ambulatory aid. Such a carrying implementcould attach to the ambulatory aid in a manner that would prevent thecarrying implement from moving about and interfering with walking. Toprovide versatility, it would further be desirable if the carryingimplement were easily detachable from the ambulatory aide such that itcould be used alone.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention is directed to a carrying implementattachable to an elongate member, such as the shaft of a cane or otherelongate member of an ambulatory aid. In accordance with one aspect ofthe invention, the carrying implement comprises a base and a sidewallextending upwardly from the base to define an interior compartment. Thesidewall comprises a back portion having a central vertical axis. Theimplement also comprises an attachment member that is disposed at anattachment point generally along the central vertical axis of the backportion and configured to detachably couple with the elongate member.When the attachment member is coupled with the elongate member, thesidewall is generally adjacent the elongate member proximate the centralvertical axis of the back portion, and the central vertical axis isgenerally parallel with a longitudinal axis of the elongate portion.Also, relative movement of the attachment point is substantially fixed.

[0005] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a pursecoupleable with a cane is provided. The purse comprises a bag portiondefining an interior compartment and an attachment assembly coupled tothe bag portion and configured to couple with an elongate portion of thecane. The attachment assembly comprises a first strap and ahook-and-loop-type fastener. The first strap is coupled to the bagportion at an attachment point. When the attachment assembly is coupledwith the elongate portion of the cane, the hook portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener engages with the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener. Also, relative movement of the attachmentpoint is substantially fixed.

[0006] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a bagcoupleable with a cane is provided. The bag comprises a bag portion thatdefines an interior enclosure. The bag portion comprises a sidewallhaving a central vertical axis. The bag further comprises an attachmentmember coupled to the sidewall generally along the central verticalaxis. The attachment member is configured to attach to an elongateportion of the cane. When the attachment member is attached to the cane,the central vertical axis of the sidewall is generally parallel with alongitudinal axis of the elongate portion, and movement of the bagportion relative to the elongate portion is substantially inhibited.

[0007] The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features andtechnical advantages of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood.Additional features and advantages of the invention will be describedhereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conceptionand specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis formodifying or designing other structures for carrying out the samepurposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by thoseskilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthe invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with further objects and advantages will be better understoodfrom the following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, thateach of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration anddescription only and is not intended as a definition of the limits ofthe present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] For a more complete understanding of the present invention,reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment of a carryingimplement attached to the shaft of a cane, in accordance with theinvention;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of acarrying implement attached to the shaft of a cane, in accordance withthe invention;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a side view of the carrying implement of FIG. 1 attachedto the shaft of the cane, in accordance with the invention;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a back view of the carrying implement of FIG. 1, withoutthe attachment straps;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a set ofattachment straps, in accordance with the invention;

[0014]FIG. 6 is a plan view of the other sides of the set of attachmentstraps of FIG. 5; and

[0015]FIGS. 7A, B, and C are a back view of the carrying implement ofFIG. 1, illustrating the detachable engagement of two sets of theattachment straps of FIGS. 5 and 6 with the shaft of a cane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention provides a carrying implement that iscoupleable with an elongate member of an ambulatory device. Although thefollowing description is directed toward specific, exemplary embodimentsof the invention that comprise a purse removably or fixedly attached tothe shaft of a walking cane, it should be understood that carryingimplements of a variety of types, shapes, and sizes are envisioned. Suchcarrying implements may be attached to an elongate member of varioustypes of ambulatory assistance devices, such as a pole, walker, crutch,wheelchair, etc., without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

[0017] Turning now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, a frontview of an exemplary embodiment of a carrying implement 10 attached toan elongate member 12 of an ambulatory aid 14 is illustrated. In FIG. 1,the carrying implement 10 is configured as a conventional purse having asidewall 16 extending generally upwardly from a base portion 18 todefine an open enclosure for carrying one or more objects. The purse 10includes a flap portion 20 for closing the enclosure in a relativelysecure manner.

[0018] The purse 10 in FIG. 1 has a generally trapezoidal shape,although any of a variety of sizes and shapes is possible, such as thegenerally rectangular shape of the purse 22 illustrated in FIG. 2. Thepurse 10 may be made of a variety of materials, such as leather, cloth,synthetic materials, etc., and may include various ornamental elements.In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the sidewall 16 and baseportion 18 are relatively inflexible or rigid, thus imparting a fixedshape to the purse 10. However, in other embodiments, the sidewall 16and base portion 18 may be relatively flexible. Further, the baseportion 18 may transition seamlessly with the sidewall 16, particularlyin embodiments in which the carrying implement 10 has a pouch orsack-like shape.

[0019] Referring briefly to FIG. 2, a perspective view of an alternativeembodiment of a carrying implement is illustrated. In FIG. 2, thecarrying implement is configured as a generally rectangular purse 22having a sidewall 24 extending generally upwardly from a base portion 26to define an interior compartment for holding a variety of objects. Anaperture (not visible) providing accessibility to the interiorcompartment may be opened and secured closed via a flap portion 28. Inthe embodiment illustrated, the flap portion 28 includes an ornamentalelement 30 to provide decorative appeal to the purse 22.

[0020] Returning now to FIG. 1, when the purse 10 is attached to thecane 14, a central vertical axis 32 of the purse 10 is substantiallyaligned with a longitudinal axis 34 of the shaft 12 of the cane 14, suchthat the purse 10 is laterally centered and balanced on the shaft 12.This lateral centering of the purse 10 relative to the cane shaft 12assists in stabilizing the purse 10, thus substantially inhibitingradial movement of the purse 10 about the longitudinal axis 34 of theshaft 12.

[0021] Stabilization of the purse 10 in both the radial direction andthe vertical direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12is further assisted by an attachment assembly 36, which is configured toremovably or fixedly attach the purse 10 to the shaft 12 of the cane 14.Referring now to FIG. 3, a side view of the purse 10 attached to thecane shaft 12 via the attachment assembly 36 is illustrated. In theexemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the attachment assembly 36includes two attachment members 38 and 40 that secure the purse to theshaft 12. When the purse 10 is attached, a back portion 42 of thesidewall 16 is generally adjacent the shaft 12, and the central verticalaxis 32 is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis 34 of theshaft 12. Further, envisioning a plane that passes through a centralaxis 44 of the purse 10, it can be seen in FIG. 3 that the purse 10 ispositioned in a plane that is generally parallel to and offset by anamount 48 from a plane that passes through the longitudinal axis 34 ofthe shaft 12. The offset amount 48 may vary depending on the relativeproportions of the purse 10 and the elongate member 12.

[0022] Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the relationship between anexemplary attachment assembly 36 and the purse 10 will now be described.In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the attachment assembly 36includes the two attachment members 38 and 40, each of which include apurse strap 52, a cane strap 54, and a hook-and-loop-type fastener 56.FIG. 4 is a back view of the back portion 42 of the purse 10 without theattachment assembly 36 attached. FIG. 5 is a top plan view of anexemplary embodiment of the attachment member 38, including the pursestrap 52, the cane strap 54, and portions of the hook-and-loop-typefastener 56. FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the attachment member 38,showing another portion of the hook-and-loop-type fastener 56 disposedon the purse strap 52.

[0023] Referring first to FIG. 4, the central vertical axis 32 extendsthrough the back portion 42 of the sidewall 16 of the purse 10 as shown.In the embodiment illustrated, the central vertical axis 32 is generallylocated at the midpoint between opposing edges 58 and 60 of the backportion 42. Two purse straps 52 may be attached to the back portion 42at attachment points or regions 62 and 64, which are generally alignedalong the central vertical axis 32. In the embodiments illustrated inFIGS. 1-7, two attachment members 38 and 40 are shown. However, itshould be understood that only a single attachment member or more thantwo attachment members can be used to secure the purse 10 to the cane14.

[0024] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, each ofthe attachment members 38 and 40 comprises a mating set of the elongatestraps 52 and 54 and the hook-and-loop-type fastener 56 (e.g., VELCRO™)that allows the purse 10 to e detachably coupled to the cane 12. Thepurse elongate strap 52 may be fixedly or removably attached to the backportion 42 of the purse 10 at one of the attachment regions 62 or 64along the central vertical axis 32. In the embodiment shown, the purseelongate strap 52 is attached at the region 66 (see FIG. 6), such thatsubstantial portions of the ends 68 and 70 of the strap 52 aresufficiently free to wrap about the shaft 12 of the cane 14 and securelyengage with the cane strap 54 in a manner that will be described below.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the purse elongate strap 52 isattached to the region 62 or 64 of the back portion 42 of the purse 10by sewing the strap 52 at the region 66. In other embodiments, the purseelongate strap 52 may be attached to the purse 10 by other types offixed fasteners, such as rivets or grommets, or detachable-typefasteners, such as snap closures, hook and eye closures, magneticclosures, etc. A detachable-type fastener allows the purse strap 52 tobe removed from the purse 10, thus allowing the user to carry the purse10 in a more conventional manner.

[0026] Either the hook portion or loop portion of the hook-and-loop-typefastener 56 is disposed on a surface 72 of the purse strap 52, and theother of the hook portion or loop portion of the fastener 56 is disposedon a surface 74 of the cane strap 54, such that the strap 54 can engagethe strap 56 in a secure manner when the surfaces 72 and 74 arejuxtaposed. The opposing surface 76 of the purse strap 52 includesanother portion of the hook-and-loop-type fastener 56. This portion isintended to engage with the fastener portion on the surface 72 of thepurse strap 52 when the purse strap 52 is wrapped about the cane shaft12. For example, if the hook portion of the fastener 56 is disposed onthe surface 72, then a loop portion of the fastener 56 is disposed onthe surface 76, as well as on the surface 74 of the cane strap 54. Thehook and loop portions of the fastener 56 may be disposed on thesurfaces 72, 74, and 76 in any suitable manner, such as by sewing,adhering, etc.

[0027] In the embodiment illustrated, the surface 78 of the cane strap54 is bare, such that it is suitable for application of an adhesive toadhere the surface 78 of strap 54 to the surface of the cane shaft 12.In other embodiments, an adhesive may be pre-applied to the surface 78and a protective backing paper placed over the adhesive until the strap54 is used. Alternatively, the cane strap 54 may be configured as a loopof elastic fabric that is sufficiently tight to grasp the cane shaft 12in a secure manner. Still further, the cane strap 54 may be fixedlyattached to the cane shaft 12, such as by one or more rivets.

[0028] The straps 52 and 54 may be made of a variety of materials, suchas leather, fabric, elastic straps, other synthetic materials, etc.Further, although the fastener 56 has been described as ahook-and-loop-type fastener, it should be understood that other types ofdetachable fasteners are contemplated, such as snap closures, hook andeye closures, magnetic closures, etc., any of which would be suitablefor attaching the purse 10 to the cane 14 in a secure manner. Forexample, in one embodiment, the attachment assembly 36 could include aplate having an eye or other aperture for receiving a mating hook orother mating member. Such a plate could be attached to the purse 10along the central vertical axis 32. The attachment assembly 36 furtherwould include the mating hook or other mating member that would beadapted to attach to the cane shaft 12. For example, the mating membercould be attached to a strap (e.g., the cane strap 54) wrapped about andadhered to the cane shaft 12. In one embodiment, the cane strap 54 canbe a cover or wrap designed to envelop the shaft 12 or the entire cane14, and the mating member can be attached to such a cover or wrap.Alternatively, the mating member can be attached directly to the caneshaft 12. As yet another example, the attachment member 38 can be anintegral attachment assembly having a first portion that attaches to thepurse 10 and a second portion that attaches to the cane shaft 12.

[0029] In another embodiment, the fastener 56 can be a fastener thatfixedly attaches the purse 10 to the cane 14 in a secure manner. Forexample, the fastener 56 can be one or more rivets that fixedly couplethe purse strap 52 to the cane shaft 12. Alternatively, if the canestrap 54 is configured as a cover or wrap (e.g., a leather cover) thatenvelops all or part of the cane 12, the fastener 56 can be a rivet orthread that fixedly attaches the purse 10 to the cover. Numerous othertypes and configurations of an attachment assembly 36 for both fixed andremovable attachment of the purse to the cane can readily be envisionedby one of skill in the appropriate art.

[0030] Referring now to FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C, an exemplary attachment ofthe purse 10 to the cane shaft 12 via the exemplary detachableattachment assembly 36 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is demonstrated. InFIG. 7A, two cane straps 54 have been wrapped about and secured to thecane shaft 12 in a manner (e.g., adhering) that restricts the movementof the straps 54 in the longitudinal direction along the axis 34. Thepurse 10 then is positioned adjacent the cane shaft 12 proximate thecentral vertical axis 32 of the back sidewall portion 42. In FIG. 7B,the ends 70 of the purse straps 52 then are wrapped about the straps 54such that the hook portion and loop portion of the fastener 56 on thesurfaces 72 and 74 of the straps 52 and 54, respectively, engage.Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the ends 70 of straps 52 are the firstends to be wrapped, such that the hook or loop portion of the fastener56 on the surface 76 of the straps 52 can engage with the other of thehook or loop portion of the fastener 56 on the surface 72 of the straps52. This engagement is illustrated in FIG. 7C, which shows the ends 68of the straps 52 wrapped about the cane shaft 12 and, thus, disposedatop the ends 70. When engaged in this manner, movement of the purse 10relative to the cane shaft 12 is substantially inhibited.

[0031] Although the present invention and its advantages have beendescribed in detail, it should be understood that various changes,substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine,manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps describedin the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps,presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantiallythe same function or achieve substantially the same result as thecorresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according tothe present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended toinclude within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bag attachable to a cane, the bag comprising: abag portion defining an enclosure, the bag portion comprising a sidewallhaving a central vertical axis; and an attachment member coupled to thesidewall generally along the central vertical axis, the attachmentmember configured to attach to an elongate portion of the cane, wherein,when the attachment member is attached to the elongate portion, thecentral vertical axis of the sidewall is generally parallel with alongitudinal axis of the elongate portion and movement of the bagportion relative to the elongate portion is substantially inhibited. 2.The bag as recited in claim 1, wherein the attachment member comprises afirst strap attached to the sidewall and a fastener, the fastener beingdisposed to attach the first strap to the elongate portion of the cane.3. The bag as recited in claim 2, wherein the fastener detachablyattaches the first strap to the elongate portion of the cane.
 4. The bagas recited in claim 3, wherein the fastener is a hook-and-loop-typefastener disposed such that the hook portion engages with the loopportion when the first strap is wrapped about the elongate portion ofthe cane.
 5. The bag as recited in claim 4, wherein the first strapcomprises front and back opposing surfaces, and wherein the hook portionof the hook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on the front surface ofthe first strap, and the loop portion of the hook-and-loop-type fasteneris disposed on the back surface of the first strap.
 6. The bag asrecited in claim 4, wherein the attachment member comprises a secondstrap configured to attach to the elongate portion of the cane, andwherein the hook portion of the hook-and-loop-type fastener is disposedon a surface of one of the first and second straps, and wherein the loopportion of the hook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface ofthe other of the first and second straps, and wherein the hook portionfastens with the loop portion when the second strap is attached to theelongate portion of the cane and the first strap is engaged with thesecond strap.
 7. The bag as recited in claim 1, wherein the attachmentmember comprises a first attachment portion and a second attachmentportion configured to mate with the first attachment portion when thebag is attached to the elongate portion of the cane, wherein the firstattachment portion is disposed on an exterior surface of the sidewall,and wherein the second attachment portion is attachable to the elongateportion of the cane.
 8. The bag as recited in claim 7, wherein thesecond attachment portion is adhered to the elongate portion of thecane.
 9. The bag as recited in claim 7, wherein the attachment membercomprises a hook-and-loop-type fastener, wherein the first attachmentportion comprises one of the hook portion and the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener, and wherein the second attachment portioncomprises the other of the hoop portion and the loop portion.
 10. Apurse coupleable to a cane, the purse comprising: a bag portion definingan interior compartment; and an attachment assembly coupled to the bagportion and configured to couple with an elongate portion of the cane,the attachment assembly comprising a first strap and a fastener, thefirst strap coupled to the bag portion at an attachment point, and thefastener configured to coupled the first strap with the elongate portionof the cane, such that relative movement of the attachment point issubstantially fixed.
 11. The purse as recited in claim 10, wherein thefastener is a detachable fastener co0nfigured to detachably couple thefirst strap to the elongate portion of the cane.
 12. The purse asrecited in claim 11, wherein the detachable fastener is ahook-and-loop-type fastener, and wherein, when the attachment assemblyis coupled with the elongate portion of the cane, the hook portion ofthe hook-and-loop-type fastener engages with the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener.
 13. The purse as recited in claim 12,wherein the first strap comprises front and back opposing surfaces, andwherein the hook portion of the hook-and-loop-type fastener is disposedon the front surface of the first strap, and the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on the back surface of the firststrap.
 14. The purse as recited in claim 12, wherein the attachmentassembly comprises a second strap configured to attach to the elongateportion of the cane, and wherein the hook portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface of one of the firstand second straps, and wherein the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface of the other of thefirst and second straps.
 15. A carrying implement attachable to a cane,the carrying implement comprising: a base; a sidewall extending upwardlyfrom the base to define an interior compartment; and an attachmentmember coupled to an exterior surface of the sidewall and configured toattach to an elongate portion of the cane, wherein, when the attachmentmember is attached to the elongate portion, the sidewall issubstantially fixed relative to the elongate portion.
 16. The carryingimplement as recited in claim 15, wherein the attachment membercomprises a first strap coupled to the exterior surface of the sidewalland a fastener configured to attach the first strap to the elongateportion of the cane.
 17. The carrying implement as recited in claim 16,wherein the fastener is a detachable fastener to detachably attach thefirst strap to the elongate portion of the cane.
 18. The carryingimplement as recited in claim 17, wherein the detachable fastener is ahook-and-loop-type fastener disposed such that the hook portion engageswith the loop portion when the first strap is wrapped about the elongateportion of the cane.
 19. The carrying implement as recited in claim 18,wherein the first strap comprises front and back opposing surfaces, andwherein the hook portion of the hook-and-loop-type fastener is disposedon the front surface of the first strap, and the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on the back surface of the firststrap.
 20. The carrying implement as recited in claim 18, wherein theattachment member comprises a second strap configured to attach to theelongate portion of the cane, and wherein the hook portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface of one of the firstand second straps, and wherein the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface of the other of thefirst and second straps, and wherein the hook portion fastens with theloop portion when the second strap is attached to the elongate portionof the cane and the first strap is engaged with the second strap. 21.The carrying implement as recited in claim 15, wherein the attachmentmember comprises a first attachment portion and a second attachmentportion configured to mate with the first attachment portion when thecarrying implement is attached to the elongate portion of the cane,wherein the first attachment portion is disposed on the exterior surfaceof the sidewall, and wherein the second attachment portion is coupled tothe elongate portion of the cane.
 22. The carrying implement as recitedin claim 21, wherein the attachment member comprises ahook-and-loop-type fastener, wherein the first attachment portioncomprises one of the hook portion and the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener, and wherein the second attachment portioncomprises the other of the hoop portion and the loop portion.
 23. Acarrying implement coupleable to an elongate member of an ambulatoryaid, the carrying implement comprising: a base; a sidewall extendingupwardly from the base to define an interior compartment, the sidewallcomprising a back portion having a central vertical axis; and anattachment member disposed at an attachment point generally along thecentral vertical axis of the back portion, the attachment memberconfigured to couple with the elongate member, wherein, when theattachment member is coupled with the elongate member, the sidewall isgenerally adjacent the elongate member proximate the central verticalaxis of the back portion, the central vertical axis is generallyparallel with a longitudinal axis of the elongate member, and relativemovement of the attachment point is substantially fixed.
 24. Thecarrying implement as recited in claim 23, wherein the attachment membercomprises a first strap attached to the back portion of the sidewall anda fastener disposed to couple the first strap with the elongate memberof the ambulatory aid.
 25. The carrying implement as recited in claim24, wherein the fastener is a detachable fastener to detachably couplethe first strap with the elongate member.
 26. The carrying implement asrecited in claim 25 wherein the detachable faster is ahook-and-loop-type fastener disposed such that the hook portion engageswith the loop portion when the first strap is wrapped about the elongateportion of the cane.
 27. The carrying implement as recited in claim 26,wherein the first strap comprises front and back opposing surfaces, andwherein the hook portion of the hook-and-loop-type fastener is disposedon the front surface of the first strap, and the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on the back surface of the firststrap.
 28. The carrying implement as recited in claim 26, wherein theattachment member comprises a second strap configured to attach to theelongate portion of the cane, and wherein the hook portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface of one of the firstand second straps, and wherein the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface of the other of thefirst and second straps, and wherein the hook portion fastens with theloop portion when the second strap is attached to the elongate portionof the cane and the first strap is engaged with the second strap. 29.The carrying implement as recited in claim 23, wherein the attachmentmember comprises a first attachment portion and a second attachmentportion configured to mate with the first attachment portion when thecarrying implement is attached to the elongate portion of the cane,wherein the first attachment portion is disposed on an exterior surfaceof the sidewall, and wherein the second attachment portion is coupled tothe elongate portion of the cane.
 30. The carrying implement as recitedin claim 29, wherein the attachment member comprises ahook-and-loop-type fastener, wherein the first attachment portioncomprises one of the hook portion and the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener, and wherein the second attachment portioncomprises the other of the hoop portion and the loop portion.
 31. Thecarrying implement as recited in claim 23, wherein the back portion issubstantially rigid.
 32. The carrying implement as recited in claim 23,wherein the ambulatory aid is a cane and the elongate member is a shaftof the cane.
 33. A carrying implement coupleable with an elongate memberof an ambulatory aid, the carrying implement comprising: a bag portiondefining an enclosure, the bag portion comprising a sidewall having acentral vertical axis; and an attachment member attached to the sidewallgenerally along the central vertical axis, the attachment memberconfigured to removably couple with the elongate member of theambulatory aid, wherein, when the attachment member is coupled with theelongate member, the bag portion is disposed in a plane that isgenerally parallel with and offset from a plane passing through alongitudinal axis of the elongate member, and relative movement of thebag portion is substantially fixed.
 34. The carrying implement asrecited in claim 33, wherein the attachment member comprises a firststrap attached to the sidewall and a fastener configured to couple thefirst strap with the elongate portion of the cane.
 35. The carryingimplement as recited in claim 34, wherein the fastener is a detachablefastener configured to detachably couple the first strap with theelongate portion of the cane.
 36. The carrying implement as recited inclaim 36, wherein the detachable fastener is a hook-and-loop-typefastener disposed such that the hook portion engages with the loopportion when the first strap is wrapped about the elongate portion ofthe cane.
 37. The carrying implement as recited in claim 36, wherein thefirst strap comprises front and back opposing surfaces, and wherein thehook portion of the hook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on the frontsurface of the first strap, and the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on the back surface of the firststrap.
 38. The carrying implement as recited in claim 36, wherein theattachment member comprises a second strap configured to attach to theelongate portion of the cane, and wherein the hook portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface of one of the firstand second straps, and wherein the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener is disposed on a surface of the other of thefirst and second straps, and wherein the hook portion fastens with theloop portion when the second strap is attached to the elongate portionof the cane and the first strap is engaged with the second strap. 39.The carrying implement as recited in claim 33, wherein the attachmentmember comprises a first attachment portion and a second attachmentportion configured to mate with the first attachment portion when thecarrying implement is attached to the elongate portion of the cane,wherein the first attachment portion is disposed on an exterior surfaceof the sidewall, and wherein the second attachment portion is coupled tothe elongate portion of the cane.
 40. The carrying implement as recitedin claim 39, wherein the attachment member comprises ahook-and-loop-type fastener, wherein the first attachment portioncomprises one of the hook portion and the loop portion of thehook-and-loop-type fastener, and wherein the second attachment portioncomprises the other of the hoop portion and the loop portion.
 41. Thecarrying implement as recited in claim 33, wherein the ambulatory aid isa cane, and the elongate portion is a shaft of the cane.